Brain tumors may not always be fatal.

Dear friends, I read this good news about brain cancer and felt uplifted! There is hope!

Brain Cancer May Not Always Be Fatal
September 3, 2009
The recent death of Senator Edward Kennedy made many people more aware of brain cancer, in particular malignant gliomas, the aggressive form of brain cancer that ended Senator Kennedy's life. Malignant gliomas are the most common type of brain cancer. Few patients survive more than a year and a half after diagnosis.
At Duke University, Dr. John Sampson says the poor outcome is partly due to the many different types of cells in brain cancers. "While one cell may be susceptible to chemotherapy and another susceptible to radiation, there may be a third cell that is susceptible to neither of those standard therapies," Dr. Sampson said. Some doctors hold out hope, if not for a cure, for a longer life. VOA reported earlier that Dr. Marcus Bredel at Northwestern University has identified certain genes that may help some patients survive longer, and other genes within the tumor that resist treatment and continue growing. "We were able to predict the survival of glioblastoma (brain cancer) patients in a couple of populations across the United States," he said. Twenty-four-year old P. J. Lukac is one of the researchers. He has glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer. "When I started in the lab it was a very surreal experience because they talk about uniform fatality, they talk about inevitable recurrences of the cancer, and that kind of just hits you," Lukac said. But he is also hopeful. "I think in my lifetime we will see glioblastoma become a chronic and manageable disease," he added. Surgery is still the preferred option to remove as much of the tumor as possible. But a new treatment involves using fiber-optic laser probes placed inside the brain tumor. With a burning hot laser, doctors can destroy cancerous tissue they may not be able to reach during conventional surgery. Doctors Gene Barnett and Steven Jones use fiber optic lasers at the Cleveland Clinic.
"This [the procedure] allows us to steer the laser in different directions, to treat larger areas of tumor and protect normal brain," Dr. Barnett said.

Norman is holding on bravely. In spite of such adversity, we are trying to lead a normal and peaceful existence. We believe in miracles!